Best Guitar Modeling Processor (2024 Update)

I have been with Line 6 for many years. My very first amp from Line 6 was a Line 6 AXSYS 212. I also have the POD 20, POD XT Live, POD HD 500, the Spider 3-120, the Spider 4-150, and the practice amp 15 watts. While on tour I used the Flextone 3-2×12 amp. THE REVIEW: First and foremost tone and sound are most important to me. The models are definitely rich and pure in tone. The well thought out connectivity and the ability to maneuver the effects chain in any order that I desire is a plus and the ability to have unlimited effects in a chain is superb! I like the touch sensitivity to the switches that allows access to parameters for on the fly editing. Additionally, there is better processing with all of the effects. The headphone volume is a great option that adds to this already exceptional unit. Also, the stomp box mode allows the Helix to be used as a peddle board rig. Thumbs up for the large screen display and the scribble strips. Last but not least, the unit is very sturdy which makes it easy to travel with. There are so many BELLS & WHISTLES included in the Helix unit that it's too much to put into one review. So with that being said, I am COMPLETELY satisfied with my Helix!

Overall: I've been playing through a Headrush gigboard and needed something different that was just as easy to use, had plenty of tones that were inspiring, that didn't cost as much. I've owned a few Line 6 products over the 30 years of playing music and decided to buy the Pod Go. So worth it! The tones were better than expected, and if you can't afford the Helix series, this is the best choice for a floor unit under $500. The built in expression pedal with toe switch is perfect. You can switch between volume and wah wah or other parameters just by pressing the toe switch in the expression pedal. Basically you don't have to have another expression pedal. The built in pedal can do what you need. I am not tech savvy, I bought the Headrush gigboard last year because of how easy it is to use. I didn't think a floor unit could be. Then comes the Pod Go. It's actually much easier to use than the Headrush. Granted the two have different features but I found making your own sounds easier with the Pod Go. It seems I make them in a shorter time. The color display along with color footswitches make organizing sounds easier than making coffee. If you need a floor unit under 500 the Pod Go is the best choice on the market. If you're a metal head or a traditional Jazz player or love the complexity of Fusion, the Pod Go has your sound.

Overall: I wish I could say something positive about this unit. Although it does have some great sounds and features, the fact that it is constantly having to be rebooted because it freezes up or shuts down on its own make it pretty much worthless (Yes I’ve done all the updates and other futile suggestions from the support folks at line 6). Add to that a power supply that is a complete piece of crap. It’s cheap, fragile and generally a bad design. It is almost impossible to find a replacement because line 6 wanted it that way. Simply using a Standard, generic replacement (9v 2500 mA) Is tricky and not guaranteed to work. My review for this product: Look for something else better from a company who is not obsessed with nickel and diming their customers to death over some ridiculous accessory.

This pedal does everything I expected it to do. Especially valuable to me is that it has models for both guitar and bass. I plugged in my Rickenbacker 4001, set it on the SVT model and thought I was back in 1974 playing my original Rick through my 8-10 SVT rig. Amazing sound. When I plugged my Pro II Tele and set it on Plexi I was similarly impressed. What a rig! Since then I've used my Spector 5, my Hofner and my Fender Jazz all with great results. I've even gotten past those original models. What has been most positive for me is I can hook it up to headphones and not drive my wife nuts anymore. Thanks for the great deal and the quick service.

I gave this 4 Stars only because of some difficulty I had in the programming part. In one of the training videos it talks about when your playing the sound drops off as if you’ve got a bad cable or something along those lines. They demonstrate how you need to double tap on the “Input” block on the top left hand side and it opens up a screen that shows what they call a “Global Gate”, and it’s set at about 40db in the video and on the one I had as well. There is a block right above that has a White line to show where it’s set. And when yiu strum a chord with it at this factory setting, it cuts out..Your told to add use the setting to about the middle of the block and this will stop it from cutting out. I did this on my unit however no matter where I put it I was still getting the cut out…it’s very frustrating. I was never able to correct this. Secondly the manual that comes with the unit is very much lacking what I would think are the very basics. I was never able to figure out how to assign the 4 buttons on the bottom. It was confusing, at least to me. I did contact HEADRUSH and was directed to their videos, but once again, the few they have are great at about everything else, but as far as what I was looking for, didn’t help. I am an old school guy from the 70’s and the Marshall, stomp box generation, and being older, yes I know, I so wan this to work, so I can grab this unit and the FRFR speaker cabinet, which is awesome by the way, my guitar and go.. I sent it back and I’m waiting on a replacement unit and I’m going to give it another try……Wish me luck, and yes, I would recommend this to anyone out there. ROCK ON PEOPLE, KEEP THE MUSIC ALIVE…!

Sound: OK, so the pre-set programs are hit and miss for me. But that had to be expected, as I am not plugging a guitar into it, but rather a Korg RK100-S2 keytar. For obvious reasons, the cleaner patches, and patches designed around arpeggios sound decent, while the shredding metal patches sound like ass. I'm sure they would both sound good if I was hooked up with an actual 6 string. Features: The most useful feature as far as I'm concerned, are all of those knobs all over the front of the unit. They make it so easy to dial in the sound. Especially when compared to the all digital products like the GT-1. I had a GT-1B last year, and it was aggravating to modify sounds on the fly. The other most useful feature is the Tone Central app. OMG!!! Last month, I trashed Korg's design decision in their app for modifying the keytar's sounds. The window can't be resized, the lines of text are nearly microscopic, it isn't REMOTELY intuitive to figure out how to re-write the patches. Boss' Tone Central app is the EXACT OPPOSITE of all of that. Full screen, each effect section is on screen alone and has 3 different ways to modify the settings. Get things the way you want, name your patch, and click "write," then choose where you want it saved, and click "OK." It couldn't be simpler. Ease of Use: If the preset patches are hit and miss, the "manual mode" is why I bought this board. The keytar really needs some effects to come alive. This board is simply a placeholder until I can build a quality keytar/synth specific pedal board. Compression, delay, and/or phasers can add a lot of depth to my sound depending on what I'm currently using. Those dials make it super easy to get the sound right quickly. It does sort of suck that they are on the floor, but how could that have been avoided without bluetooth and a phone app? And, if that was the case, I wouldn't have bought it in the first place! Quality: I bought this "blemished." My guess, based on the condition of the box that the factory shipped to zZounds, is that this took a fall off of a shelf in the warehouse. One end of the box was mangled badly! Thanks to Boss' attention to detail in packaging, and legendary build quality, I got this product without a scuff, scratch, or dent for 20% off. I like that build quality. (Feel free to play football with some of those synth specific stomp boxes guys! *wink-wink*) Value: Before my fretting hand got too badly damaged to play bass anymore, I wanted the bass version of this product. I believe that it was discontinued, and I missed my chance. I got the GT-1B but didn't like working with it. When I saw that this was available, I didn't hesitate to put it into my cart. Only then, after the fact, did I realize that it was in "blemished" condition. I almost went back and put a new, full priced one in my cart simply because I didn't want the hassle of potentially returning a broken product. So, yes, I do believe this is worth the normal retail price. Manufacturer Support: In the 12 years I've been playing, I've owned several Boss products from tuners to metronomes to multi effects pedals and I have NEVER had to reach out for support. In my estimation, that's the BEST form of customer service! The Wow Factor: G.A.S.! I can't play guitar a lick. But I've bought guitars in the past simply to hang them on the wall. I can't say that I would ever buy THIS product if I didn't need it. But I'm sure that it will still find some place in my home studio, even after the actual pedal board is complete Overall: An easy recommendation for the guitarist on a budget. Depending on one's needs, stomp boxes and pedal boards can become quite pricey. Between this, the Tone Central app, and the hundreds of additional patches available there, if you can't get the sound you're looking for, the problem lies mostly with you.

I have been with Line 6 for many years. My very first amp from Line 6 was a Line 6 AXSYS 212. I also have the POD 20, POD XT Live, POD HD 500, the Spider 3-120, the Spider 4-150, and the practice amp 15 watts. While on tour I used the Flextone 3-2×12 amp. THE REVIEW: First and foremost tone and sound are most important to me. The models are definitely rich and pure in tone. The well thought out connectivity and the ability to maneuver the effects chain in any order that I desire is a plus and the ability to have unlimited effects in a chain is superb! I like the touch sensitivity to the switches that allows access to parameters for on the fly editing. Additionally, there is better processing with all of the effects. The headphone volume is a great option that adds to this already exceptional unit. Also, the stomp box mode allows the Helix to be used as a peddle board rig. Thumbs up for the large screen display and the scribble strips. Last but not least, the unit is very sturdy which makes it easy to travel with. There are so many BELLS & WHISTLES included in the Helix unit that it's too much to put into one review. So with that being said, I am COMPLETELY satisfied with my Helix!

The Stomplab has some very good patches right out of the box better than most MultiFX units. I rarely get to say that. Since I like to try them all, I think it excels in areas that can outdo expensive pedals. The amps sound really realistic and have beefy snappy mids right in your face with great projection and pop. The tones are designed to sound good as you play with EQ settings the amps seem to stay in the zone of what you would expect an actual amp would do. The best way to really experience this is to plug into a Hi Fidelity home stereo etc. and listen to how detailed the mix is. There is a Tube Screamer that seems to actually enhance just about every amp you try it with when trying to get some edge. The clean amps are some of the best out of the box tube gain style sparkling U2 like rhythms with clearly defined picking separation. This is probably about as good as it gets for these type sounds. Very metal like ballading with chorus and delay. Def Leppard Bringing on the Heartache or Photagraph come off terrific. The crunch sounds are very realistic and the US Hi Gain is about as good as it gets for 80s Metal. I can compare this to the VT Plus series because I have it. This pedal sounds good and really excels with a Tube amp. The VT Plus is a tube hybrid and the 12ax7 single tube does add a touch of edge as it is cranked but the pedal is the same Engine and the edge is subtle and the Tube Screamer SIM sounds close. Any sound can be had and it records from the line out with very good definition. Most of the amp sims are very good with little tweaking and I think it has the most good amp Sims of any other multi fx unit. Has way more variables than the VT Plus amp series and it is one of my favorites for downright realistic amp sounds. Hard to believe it but, it stacks up well against the bigger floorboards in respect to tone alone. More controls on the bigger units sometimes can take you too far off base. It really is well designed and keeps you sounding good.

“Did he Just Say what I think he did” is probably the question you’re asking yourself right now! Let’s be real, acquiring gear is part of the fun of being a mucisian! I love the thrill of finding a new overdrive, or swimming in a new reverb pedal, I love gear just as much as the next guy, and don’t get me started about the rush you get when you discover a new piece a gear that no else has! But let also be a honest, gear is EXPENSIVE, and if you are anything like me you may have a spouse who doesn’t look kindly upon the purchase of a new Pedal, plus I have run out of excuses as to why I need a new pedal! So in order to acquire new require me to sell old gear, which means usually I get less then what I paid so technically I’m losing money! The HX Effects has solved that issue for me, with so many different effects, that run mon and stereo, and to add, they sound phenomenal! In no time you can create a gigable rig with this one piece of gear! The learning curve is quick, you don’t need a a loop controller, or midi controller, it’s already built in! This is arguably one of the best gear buys I have ever made, no more losing money, no more unhappy wife, and with every update Line 6 makes, it’s like getting a basket full of new pedals! Do yourself a favor and save your marriage and buy one! Pros- •portable •gigable •sounds great •easy learning curve •usable pre-sets out of the box • Mono & Stereo capable Cons- •what cons?!

Upgraded to this unit from a Pod XT Pro rack. This unit not only has amazing and better sounds but more flexible options and a wider array of effects and amps. Pros: -Sound is stunning. I've not done a side-by-side with a real amp mic'ed with a specific mic in a certain position, but it's utterly convincing to my ears. -Blocks can be re-ordered without restriction. For example, want to daisy chain two amps to get that "you really got me" sound? You can do it and it actually works. -Multiple outs and routing -Flexible pedal assignments. You can connect up another two external footswitches (or exp pedals) and assign to any block. OR, you can assign more than one block to a single pedal (so you could activate a tube screamer, digital delay, and anything else with a single press ready for your solo). OR, you can just use a snapshot and change dozens of parameters with a single press. No more "dancing" around the pedal board, hitting the wrong pedals in the process, looking like an utter berk etc. -Preset sounds with flexible ways to work through them. At a gig I don't have time to change an abundance of settings so have a preset for each song. Sound completely changed in half a second. Next song started without hesitation. -All functions of the unit look like they can be configured through the front panel without having to use the Windows or MAC editor. Cons -Terrible, terrible power supply brick. I can't believe Line 6 sell it like this. They even know it's rubbish – the manual says something to the effect of: "we know the power supply is big but it needs to be special to give you enough juice". Big is not the problem – being stuck upwards in the air from your mains socket standing proud like, er, ahem, well something unmentionable is the problem. Plus when you try to unplug it, the power supply comes in half leaving a little bit left in the mains socket. Which will inevitably get left at a gig. Can't wait for that to happen. -limited number of presets. I need a preset for each of 60 songs. I keep a copy of each preset as a master then duplicate them in the order of the night's set list into other presets – so with that I need at least 120 presets, allowing myself one or two to fiddle with. If I recall correctly this has around 126. Best not learn three more songs that need a different sound each. -It's a little difficult to program the thing – the button layout is confusing and unintuitive compared to the Pod XT pro I have just replaced. I can make the trade-off for the sound but this would not work for many I suspect. -Windows or MAC editor – really? Where do I set that up then? Ah yes I just need a $1000 laptop or a chuffing great desktop unit and monitor to hand. I want to spend my money on guitar gear, thanks! Some other vendors have bluetooth and android apps, line 6 for a change is behind the curve. Two final points. 1) If you need something easier to use buy something with more buttons, knobs and pedal switches. 2) If you really like a particular sound, go out and buy the real amp / effect. You just can't beat the real thing. But this gets very, very close, and of course you have several hundred "things" to choose from with no crackles, no mic stand to get kicked, etc etc.

Purchased as a desktop amp to replace a Kemper head and footswitch, primarily for desktop and recording purposes. The unit is very solidly made and takes up next to no space. Although there are limited knobs on the unit itself, the Windows HX Edit software is excellent and makes it super easy to configure presets. Whilst the HX Stomp's effects blocks are very limited compared with the full size Helix, if you typically use a straightforward setup with, say 3-4 pedals, an amp, a cab/IR I don't see why this tiny device couldn't replace an entire rig. One minus point is that the external PSU has poorly designed plastic adapters for different plug types (UK/Euro etc) which disconnect from the PSU far too easily. First time I took mine out the house I unplugged it and didn't realise the adapter had remained in the socket. I had to buy a US to UK adapter. Something to be aware of if you plan on taking this on the road. Also bear in mind that at the time of writing it's not possible to share presets between Stomp and the larger Helix units.

Nux made a nice sounding little box. It's quite different from past generations of multi-effect pedals. In this price range the emphasis is clearly on delivering a nice sound with an intuitive work around. The screen is colot LCD but it is small, maybe you will need a magnifying glass. The two foot-switches are OK but the case is plastick. However, this box delivers great distortions and other effects. So if you can live with a plastick case and a tiny Frodo-screen than in my humble opinion this is the best you can get in this price range.

Bueno, menuda pasada de compra, de producto, de envío. todo ha sido una maravilla estoy encantado con el nuevo aparato estoy tocando la guitarra más que nunca el envío fue rápido la atención excelente y no puedo estar más contento la experiencia ha sido una de las mejores que he tenido con este tipo de compras y desde luego repetiría sin lugar a dudas muchísimas gracias a todo el equipo de Madrid HiFi Llevaba mucho tiempo buscando una pedalera de estas características para tocar en casa que sea portátil y que sonase bien punto he acertado claramente con esta elección y desde luego Madrid HiFi a sido el mejor intermediario. Hace muchísimos años que toco la guitarra y siempre he pasado por etapas de tocar más, de tocar menos, y últimamente llevaba un año sin tocar absolutamente nada. Desde que he comprado esta pedalera y he cambiado las cuerdas a mi vieja guitarra estoy disfrutando de la música más que nunca me siento como si tuviese 15 años otra vez. Tengo una guitarra tipo SG y una semirrígida con las cuales toco mayormente funk y Rage Against The Machine Con esta pedalera puedo emular perfectamente el sonido de mis ídolos y dar rienda suelta a mi imaginación y crear nuevos sonidos. La utilizo en casa de mi novia y como están portátil la llevo a mi casa la cual es una furgoneta y allí tocó el metal más duro a máximo volumen. A propósito de la cual le acabo de cambiar el motor yo mismo y estoy muy contento de que vuelva a funcionar, la semana que viene me voy para el sur de España y disfrutar del sol y las olas hasta que empiece la primavera y tenga que volver a Barcelona. Por cierto Barcelona ahora en todo este tiempo voy a disfrutar de mi pedalera y te la música de la guitarra del metal del fank del da vida a máximo nivel. Os dejo ya porque no os querría meter el rollo y que leáis algo absurdo muchísimas gracias a Madrid HiFi y a todo el mundo que esté buscando esta pedalera y haya leído esta review

Overall: Upon second look at MG-300, I have to say it is a pretty interesting little gadget. Small enough to go into a gig bag but with big features. Haven't tried them all but what I have checked are pretty interesting. Go easy on the volume though while changing presets as some are extremely loud right out of the gate. Over all, I have decided to keep the unit. ANd the construction was not as bad as I first thought.

Unlike its direct predecessor, that I've sold to purchase this one, MG300 is really easy and intuitive to program and use. Software has to be updated for it to work properly. Pedal has to be calibrated (it may not yield any sound otherwise). What you get is a great selection of pedal chain components, which can be used to sculpt pretty much any tone you'd desire. Unlike many other boards of its class, NUX is nearly impossible to get lost in its' interface – very colorful and intuitive. I rarely use the included computer software, the pedals and fx on small screen are very crisp, clean and distinctive.

This pedal arrived with me last Friday, I was really keen to use it having seen the demos online, the following 2 days turned our to be the most frustrating of my life. I suspect the demo people are given a fully programmed device to portray a seeming ease of use. In reality after 2 days of struggling with sluggish and in some cases non responsive buttons and really poor tutorial, even with the help of online programmes, I was not able to store a single usable setting. Now it may be that I was supplied with a faulty unit or the pedal requires far more time and patience than I can throw at it. In a performance environment, utmost simplicity is key and I feel this unit is not that simple, or as I said earlier. could be defective. In either case it isn't for me and the end result is a return for refund or exchange for a different brand. If some-one could mail me in this regard as soon as possible I would be very grateful. kind regards Chris